


Like The Stars in Your Eyes

by catalinaao98



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Breakup Sex, F/M, Heartbreak, Heavy Angst, Missed Chances, One Shot, Sad Ending, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:40:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23514793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catalinaao98/pseuds/catalinaao98
Summary: Noah is determined to make things right with Diana. Until he discovers that sometimes, there's things in life you just can't fix.[One-shot]
Relationships: Noah/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Like The Stars in Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Noah route and the complicated feelings of everyone involved. It's really mushy and a bit cringe but I wrote it so there we go. Sorry if the smut is terrible, I'm so not used to writing it... but I tried 😅

_“I’m not going to say we’re the perfect couple or anything. That’s not me. But Hope has given me the confidence to believe in myself, and to go after what I really want. Anyone would be lucky to be with her. And I hope she gets a chance to show that to the world.”_

Noah replays his speech over and over in his mind, his heart pounding as he follows Diana up the stairs to the roof terrace. Had she gotten the message he’d been trying to send her? Is that why she’d stayed behind with him while everyone else had gone to bed? 

As nerves start to take hold again, Noah’s thoughts drift to one of their many conversations under the stars during their time in the Villa, and he plunges in the memory, letting his feet continue the familiar path up to the roof terrace.

* * *

 _“Have you ever been so afraid to disappoint people that you don’t go for what you really want?”_

_Diana had sighed, looking at her hands. “Yeah, all the time. I’m just so afraid of how other people will feel.”_

_“Or what they’ll say,” Noah added. “I hate the thought of hurting someone. But I wonder if that means I let things go on too long.”_

_“I get you. I get so worried about other people’s happiness, sometimes it feels like my turn will never come.” The corner of her mouth had turned up in a small, private smile. “Maybe that’s why I spent half my summer playing peacekeeper and being shuffled from friendship couple to friendship couple.” She looked up at Noah. “Why do you ask?”_

_Noah had sighed. “Oh, no reason. I’m just overthinking things, like always.” He gazed at her, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks for listening. I really feel like you get me.”_

__

_Diana had smiled, those beautiful dimples lighting up her face. “Hey, anytime.” She held out her arms for a hug._

__

_Noah had moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. Instantly, he’d felt his body relax as she looped her hands around his torso and squeezed gently. Nearly sighing out of pleasure, he’d buried his nose in her chocolate brown curls, inhaling the delicate lily of the valley perfume he’d come to associate with his favourite memories in the Villa. Noah briefly wondered if she could hear his heart pounding in his chest, or if she could guess how much he wanted to kiss her right then._

__

* * *

__

As they step out onto the roof, Noah hears Diana gasp softly, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Wow,” she whispers. “Look at that.” 

__

Noah looks up at the sky, following her pointing finger. “Hm?” 

__

“Just wait a moment.” 

__

Noah’s eyes search, and after a moment, he sees what Diana was talking about as a streak of light flashes across the night sky. “Woah.” 

__

“That’s the first one I’ve seen since we’ve been here,” she says. “Must be getting close to the start of the Perseids.” 

__

“The what?” 

__

“Perseids. Meteor showers,” Diana explains, turning her glacier blue eyes towards him. In the moonlight, they glowed silver. “They happen every year around the same time, and they always come from the same constellation. In this instance, Perseus.” 

__

Noah smiles. “You’re full of surprises.” 

__

Diana laughs softly. “Astrophysics, remember?” She taps a finger to her temple, then gestures to the benches framing the roof terrace. “Shall we sit? We might see more if we keep looking.” 

__

Noah takes a seat next to Diana, just close enough for their fingers to brush against each other, then turns up his face to the sky. As they sit in comfortable silence, Noah’s mind wanders to all the times they’d sat together in much the same fashion. From day one, Diana had been the calm at the center of the storm that was the Villa, and Noah had always relished in their shared moments of quietness. His thoughts roam back to the first time they’d been alone together, during their second night on Love Island. 

__

* * *

__

_“Hey there,” she’d greeted gently, snapping Noah out of his reflexions. “Mind if I join you?”_

__

_Noah smiled. “Not at all.”_

__

_Diana came and stood next to him, her elbow barely grazing his, as they both looked out at the darkened hills in the distance._

__

_“Are you uncomfortable with the silence?” Noah had asked after a while, noting her wary expression._

__

_She laughed softly. “No, I’m okay with it.”_

__

_Noah nodded. “Being with someone in silence can be an act of closeness, you know?”_

__

_She smiled. “Of course.” A beat passed before she sighed. “It’s been a long day, that’s all. I needed a moment to breathe. Thanks for being here.”_

__

_Noah put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Again,” he said, thinking back on the days she’d just had. First Hope, then Priya stealing her partners._ Poor girl can’t catch a break, _Noah thought sympathetically._

__

_Diana shrugged. “I knew what this show was about when I signed up for it. And it’s only day two, to be fair. Who knows what the future brings?”_

__

_“That’s one way to look at it,” Noah chuckled, looking at her directly in the eyes for the first time and finding himself fascinated by their quiet steadfastness. She smiled warmly at him, inching close enough that their arms brushed against each other, the heat of her skin radiating even through Noah’s jacket. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, he felt an arm snake around his waist, and looked down to find Hope by his side again._

__

* * *

__

“Nothing better than a good clear sky,” Noah says, gesturing up to the night.

__

Diana nods. “I’m with you. Back home, you can never see the stars, with all the light pollution and clouds. But here, it’s like the whole universe came out to greet us. There’s so much to see if you just know how to look.” She tilts her head closer to Noah’s, and he sucks in a breath as her curls come to brush against his cheek. “See up there?” She says, pointing up to the sky and tracing a shape with her finger. “That’s Libra. My favourite constellation. One of the oldest stars in the universe is in it, Methuselah. It was formed just after the Big Bang. That’s nearly fourteen _billion_ years ago! Can you believe something that old still shines for us in the sky today?” 

__

Noah listens in fascination at her ramble about space stuff. “That’s crazy,” he agrees, a little dazedly. “You know, I used to think satellites were actual stars that could move around. And I used to worry that when I became a star in the sky after my life ended I would be one of those that just stayed in the same place all the time.”

__

Diana smiles. “That’s really cute.”

__

Noah blushes. “Thanks, Di. I think read it in a book somewhere that we became stars and I thought it was cool. So I kinda convinced myself that was what happened to us.” He smiles. “You’re definitely made of stardust.”

__

“Well, we all kind of are, in a way,” Diana says, looking up. “Because the elements were created when stars exploded into supernovas. And then the elements combined to form the Sun and the planets and the moons, and us. So by extent, the same things that make stars can be found in the human body.” 

__

Noah grins. “Astrophysics?” 

__

She winks. “There you go, you're catching up.”

__

The two of them sit in silence some more, the cool night air softly blowing across their faces. A curl flies over Diana’s face, and Noah almost reaches up to tuck it back before stopping himself. He brings his hand to his mouth instead and nibbles at his thumb. “Sometimes…” Noah hesitates. “I wonder what things would’ve been like if I… If we’d ended up together.”

__

Diana is silent for a long moment. “I do, too,” she finally sighs. “But you’re with Hope, and I’m with Lucas.” She turns her eyes back towards Noah, and he can’t escape the sadness that fills them.

__

“Yeah… I mean, I really care about Hope. There are so many things that I like about her…”

__

“But?” Diana points out, perceptive as ever.

__

“Yes. But…” He hesitates. “Maybe I should have been more like a satellite and gone around.”

__

She arches an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you?”

__

Noah looks up at the sky. “I’m not really like that. When I like someone, I’m all in." He pauses, his eyes darting to her. "But then again, in real life, there’s usually never anyone else around that I want to get to know at the same time.” 

__

“Do you wish you’d been with more people in here?” 

__

Noah shrugs. “I had my chance, and I played it safe. Maybe I’m just having doubts now because it’s nearly the end and I’ve started thinking about the future.” His eyes dart towards her. She’d brought one of her knees up and rested her cheek against it, her eyes downcast. 

__

“Anyway, you and Lucas seem pretty strong. The whole girlfriend and boyfriend thing.” His heart squeezes a little in his chest at that. 

__

Diana smiles softly. “As strong as any Love Island couple can be.”

__

Noah looks back up at the sky. “I’ve been hoping to get some time, just the two of us. You know, since I’m not really a fan of big groups. I love it when I get to open up the library first thing in the morning, and it’s so quiet… Just me and that old book smell! Is that weird?"

Diana shrugs. "It's not that weird. It's nice to get a moment to yourself sometimes and just, like, breathe."

"Exactly," Noah continues. "I do my best thinking when I’m alone. But that never happens here. There’s always people around, asking you to do this or that.” He shoots her a panicked look. “Not saying that I want to be alone right now, by the way. Just the opposite, in fact.”

__

He glances around, making sure no one else was there.

__

“What’s going on, Noah? Whatever it is you want, just tell me.”

__

“Diana, I…” Noah looks down, nerves taking hold. He reaches up and rubs his bottom lip, subconsciously aware that he always did that when he was nervous, which lately only ever happens when Diana is around. He gives her a long look. “I know this has been confusing for you, and I’m sorry. I’m trying to do the right thing…” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I just need to figure out how. If I were back at the library, I would look it up. But I can’t really do that here!” He chuckles feebly. “Just kidding. Agh…” He leans down, rubbing his hands over his eyes. “I can never find the right words when it comes to you. But I can’t hold it in any longer. I’m so tired. I can’t keep pretending I don’t feel the way I feel.” He reaches out and takes her hand in his. He marvels at the smoothness of it, the way her long ballerina’s fingers fit so perfectly with his. “Di, I… I think I love you.”

__

To his surprise, Diana’s eyes fill with tears and her chin starts trembling. “Why are you telling me this, Noah?”

__

Noah’s heart sinks. “Because…” he falters. “It’s how I feel.” 

__

“And you’re telling me this _now_? Tonight? After I said ‘yes’ to being someone else’s girlfriend?” she asked. The pain in her voice almost paralyzes Noah. 

__

“I had to tell you how I felt. I can’t—I can’t leave here knowing that I didn’t at least try to be honest with myself, to go after what I want.” 

__

Diana snatches her hand out of his like it’s burned her. “Are you kidding me? You had so many chances, Noah! So many chances, for you to choose me, and be honest about what you felt. But you chose Hope. You chose Hope again and again.”

__

The blood drains from Noah’s face. “I told you, I don’t like hurting people. I couldn’t just—I couldn’t just leave Hope. It would’ve crushed her.” 

__

Diana’s eyes flash. “You're always so afraid of hurting people, of hurting Hope, but did you ever stop to think that maybe you were hurting _me_?” An angry tear slips down her cheek. She wipes it away with the back of her hand. “I cared about you, Noah. So much. And I fought for you _so hard_ , but you still chose her over me. And now that—that I’ve finally moved on, you tell me you _love me_? How is that fair, Noah?” she asks, her voice cracking as more tears fall down, spattering the white cushion between them. One falls on Noah’s hand, still poised between the two of them. Noah stares at the water as it slowly rolls down between his knuckles. It feels like acid, burning his skin off. 

__

“It’s not fair,” he whispers. “Nothing about this situation is fair. We’re on a reality show, competing for money. A lot of money. It’s more complicated than just having feelings for someone.”

__

Diana rears back like she’s been slapped. “So what you’re saying is that between me and Hope, you thought you had more chances of winning with her, is that it?” 

__

“No!” Noah protests. “That’s not what I—Look this is all coming out wrong. I’m trying to say that I don’t care about the money; we can walk out today and never look back. I’m trying to say that I love you, Di. Beyond the show, beyond the money, beyond the drama, I want to be with you. Just you.” 

__

Diana blinks. She’s silent for so long Noah thinks she won’t even answer. Then, finally, her piercing blue eyes fall on his. “I loved you, Noah.” 

__

The past tense hits him like a ton of bricks. Noah can barely hear her next words over the buzzing in his ears.

__

“I loved you so much. More than I ever thought I could love someone. And you broke my heart,” she whispers. “So many times. I can’t put myself through this again, Noah. Not when I’ve just started putting myself back together.” 

__

Tears well up in Noah’s eyes. “Do you love Lucas?” he asks, not bothering to mask the bitterness in his voice. 

__

Diana draws in a shaky breath. “No,” she answers softly. “But I could. Eventually. Once I’ve healed myself.” She sighs. “He’s a good man. He cares about me. I could love him so easily.”

__

Each word out of her mouth is like a blow. He draws in a trembling breath. “I’ve fucked it all up, haven’t I?” he asks. “I waited too long, and now it’s too late.” 

__

“Yes.”

__

The word, short and brutal, is like a kick to the head. Tears start slipping from Noah’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” he says, his voice rough and choked. “I’m so sorry, Di.” 

__

He feels her hand on his face, her thumb gently wiping away the moisture from his eyes.

__

“I’m sorry too, Noah,” she whispers, her voice thick. 

__

Sobs start to shake Noah’s body as the reality of the situation dawns upon him. _I’ve been an idiot. An utter idiot. I’ve been so scared of hurting everyone else that I’ve hurt the one person I should’ve been the most worried about. And now it’s too late. And it’s all my fault._

__

He buries his face in his hands. “Shit,” he whispers. He’s not a curser, never has been. But he doesn’t know what else to do. There _is_ nothing else to do. “Shit, shit, shit.” 

__

Diana’s arms wrap around his shoulders, and Noah’s automatically go around her waist. He buries his face in her shoulder, letting his tears stain the fabric of her pretty blue dress. They hold each other under the moonlight, knowing that when they let go, it’ll all be over. And neither of them is prepared to for that. 

__

Finally, Noah tilts his head up, and finds Diana looking back at him, her bright blue eyes, the eyes he’s dreamed about for twenty-nine days, shimmering. 

__

Their lips find each other, softly at first, then furiously. Noah swipes his tongue across her bottom lip, asking for access, and Diana lets him in. The salty taste of tears blends with the taste of her mouth – minty with a hint of vanilla. Just like he remembers it. 

__

Diana’s fingers find their way up and tangle themselves in his hair, pulling slightly. Noah moans into her mouth, his fingers tightening on her waist. He feels her breath hitch. 

__

“Fuck, Noah,” she whispers breathlessly against his lips. “Why are you doing this to me?” 

__

Noah doesn’t answer. He grips her hips and pulls her into his lap, the weight of her both comforting and distressing. He wants her. He _needs_ her. But he knows he can’t have her. _She belongs to someone else now._

__

His lips travel down her throat, trailing soft kisses down to her collarbone. He feels her shudder at every touch, her breathing growing heavier with each kiss. But she doesn’t stop him. 

__

Ever so gently, Noah takes the tiny straps of her dress between his fingers and pulls them down her arms. She raises her hands, allowing him to slip them off. His hands run up her body, from her hips up to her ribcage, coming to rest just underneath under her breasts. 

__

Noah’s eye flit up to Diana’s, searching. “Tell me to stop,” he begs her. “Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.” 

__

She shallows hard and nods. Noah’s heart thunders in his chest as he hooks his thumbs over the dress’s neckline and pulls it down. Her breasts spring out, full and round. Noah runs his palms over the smooth dark skin, gently thumbing the nipples. 

__

_She looks like a goddess,_ he thinks reverently as he leans forward to kiss the hot skin of her chest, feeling her shiver under his lips. She grips his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his back muscles as he keeps kissing and kneading, the soft moans escaping her lips sending jolts of electricity down his abdomen. 

__

Suddenly, Diana pushes herself off him, and Noah’s heart nearly jumps out of his throat, afraid he's gone too far. But instead of running away, she just shifts onto his lap, straddling him with her thighs on either side of his. Her mouth finds his again, hot and demanding, her hands cupping his face as she presses herself against him. 

__

Noah’s hands slide down her sides to her bum, pulling her even closer. He moans as she starts rocking her hips into his, feeling himself get harder. 

__

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she breathes between kisses. “It’s bad. It’s so bad.” 

__

“Then fuck being good,” Noah says, slipping his hands underneath her dress. She lets out a loud whimper as his fingers find their way between her legs, rubbing the already wet fabric of her knickers against her sensitive clit. 

__

“Fuck, Noah,” she moans. “Please…” 

__

Noah smirks. With one hand, he pulls aside the panties and runs his fingers against her folds. She’s so slippery and wet already, so hot, just waiting for him. 

__

Diana gasps a little as his slips two fingers inside her. He starts pumping, his thumb stroking circles against her clit all the while. Her nails dig into his shoulders and tug at his shirt as she pushes herself down against his hand. “Oh my God,” she moans. As Noah increases his pace, so do her moans, growing louder and louder. “Oh my God, Noah, fuck, oh, oh, oh… Oh!” 

__

She comes around him, wetness slipping down his fingers. She shudders, clinging to him as her body goes through the aftershocks. 

__

Noah slips his fingers out of her. She watches with blown pupils as he brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks on them, his eyes fixated on hers. He can read every emotion in them – the excitement of the moment, the fear they’ll get caught, the resentment that he still has this much power over her. He doesn’t care about any of it. She just wants her, right here, right now. 

__

He cups her cheek, drawing her lips to his, kissing her deeply. He grips Diana’s thighs and hoists her up on him. Her legs wrap tightly around his waist, her wetness rubbing against his hardening dick. Very carefully, Noah lowers her onto the bench, pressing himself down on her, cautious not to crush her under his weight. Her hands travel down his body, grazing his skin through his shirt. Finally, she reaches down to the front of his trousers, her fingers brushing against the straining bulge. 

__

Noah groans into her mouth as she reaches for his belt, slowly undoing the buckle, then the zipper. She slips her fingers into his trousers, softly running them over his hard length through his underwear. 

__

“Dammit, Di,” he curses. “You’re driving me crazy.” 

__

“Not as crazy as you drove me all summer,” she retorts. She pulls her hand out of his trousers and starts tugging them down his hips. Noah gets the message and sits up, pulling his trousers off and letting them fall in a heap on the floor. 

__

“Get on your back, please,” Diana commands. Noah obeys, laying down on his back onto the cushioned bench. Diana straddles his hips, bending over him to give him a lingering kiss on the lips. Her hands rest on his thighs, and Noah twitches every time they graze against his straining dick. 

__

Finally, her fingers slip down past the elastic band of his pants and wrap themselves around his already hard dick. Noah groans as she starts rubbing up and down, waves of pleasure rolling down him with every stroke. “Shit, Di,” he moans as Diana starts rolling down his body, shuffling down to straddle his legs. She hooks her fingers through the elastic waistband and pulls down his underwear, and his cock springs free, bobbing up a little. 

__

Diana’s eyes don’t leave his as she wraps her fingers around him again and runs her tongue up his shaft. Every nerve in Noah’s body seems attached to that particular part of his anatomy as she swirls her tongue against the tip, taking him into her mouth and releasing him with a little ‘pop’ sound. 

__

“Oh my God,” he moans.

__

He sees the lustful glint in her eyes just before she looks down again, pushing him farther into her mouth. She goes up and down again, licking and sucking, her tongue wet and hot, increasing her pace with each bob of her head. Her right hand twists in tandem while her left hand massages his balls, the combination making Noah moan harder and harder as the pressure inside him builds. 

__

“Stop,” he pleads. 

__

Diana immediately stops what she’s doing. His penis pops out of her mouth, a trickle of saliva extending from it to her lips. _Oh my fucking God._

__

“I want… May I come inside you?” 

__

“Oh my god, yes," she breathes. "Do you have a condom?” 

__

Noah twists, reaching down for his trousers. He digs through the pockets and sits back up with a little silver square between his fingers. He doesn’t even remember when or who put it there – him or Hope – and right now he doesn’t care. He tears open the packet and takes out the condom, rolling it down onto his erect penis. 

__

Diana shuffles back up him, settling around his hips. He looks into her eyes, wide and sparkling blue, as she grips him with her hand and guides him between her legs. Noah’s hands run up her thighs to her hips, helping her as she settles around him with a gasp. She wiggles a little, adjusting to his unfamiliar length, and it sends jolts up Noah’s spine. Slowly, she starts pushing herself up and down, bracing her hands on Noah’s chest. He meets her halfway, thrusting slowly into her, then faster and faster as they each get used to the feeling of one another. What started out as soft moans of pleasure turn into full-out cries, building with each thrust of the hips. 

__

“Oh my God, Noah, yes! Harder!” 

__

“Holy shit, Di, fucking hell…” 

__

At some point, Noah pops out of her, and he stops her when she goes to put it back in. “One sec,” he says, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. Di sees what he's doing and helps him, their fingers meeting each other halfway. Noah throws off the shirt into a pile with his trousers. 

__

“Okay, me now,” Diana says, reaching for the string tying her dress at the back and pulling it loose. Noah tugs the dress off over her head and lets it fall down with the rest of their clothes.

__

He lowers her back down on the bench, straddling her while she wraps her legs around his waist. Then they start again, thrusting in and out, in and out, in and out, the pressure inside their bodies mounting with each thrust.

__

“Please, please, please,” she begs, raking her nails over his back. 

__

Noah bends down and buries his face into the crook of her neck, biting slightly to relieve some of the pressure, to keep himself from screaming her name loud enough for the whole Villa to hear.

__

“Almost there,” she moans, fingernails digging into his shoulder blades. “Almost there baby, please. Fuck me harder, Noah, please. Please.”

__

“Coming, love. I’m coming.” Noah thrusts harder. He can feel himself reaching his climax, the pressure in his groin almost untenable. 

__

Diana finally lets out a loud, drawn-out sound between a moan and a squeal and tightens around him. “Yes! Yes, yes, YES!” 

__

Noah’s hips thrust forward hard, the coil behind his navel unraveling as he comes inside her. “Fuck,” he chokes out, burying his face in her curls to muffle the sound. His hips jerk forward again, absorbing the aftershocks as waves of pleasure roll through him. He and Diana cling to each other, out-of-breath, sweaty, and glowing. 

__

Noah’s arms start trembling with the effort of keeping himself up, all of his muscles screaming for rest. 

__

“It’s okay,” she says. “You can come down. I’m stronger than I look.” 

__

Noah carefully lowers himself onto her, feeling her hot skin against his. She wraps her arms around his head protectively as he settles it between her breasts. 

__

“Are you sure you’re okay? I’m not too heavy?”

__

“I’m sure,” she says, pecking the top of his head. He relaxes, looping an arm under her and pulling her against him. For a few minutes, the two of them lie wrapped in one another, letting their heartbeats readjust in silence. Diana plays with his hair, twirling strands around her fingers. Noah draws loops with his thumb over the smooth brown skin of her ribcage. 

__

“Do you think this was a mistake?” Noah finally asks. 

__

Diana’s fingers still on his head. “No,” she says after a pause. “But it won’t happen again. It can’t.” 

__

Noah’s chest tightens. “No. I guess not.” 

__

A few more moments pass. 

__

“We should go back inside,” Diana says. 

__

“I know.” 

__

“But I don’t really want to.” 

__

“Me neither.” 

__

Diana’s chest shakes as she chuckles. “How did we end up here, Noah?” She sighs.

__

“I have no idea,” he answers truthfully. _If I hadn't been such a complete moron and fucked everything up, tonight would be just another night for us. But it's not._

__

A couple of minutes pass, or an eternity – Noah wouldn’t know the difference – before he manages to gather the force to pull himself from Diana’s arms. He shuffles off her and helps her to a sitting position, then gathers their clothes up in a bundle and tucks them under one arm.

__

“Let’s go clean ourselves up,” she says, taking his hand and leading him off the terrace and through the dressing room to the shower.

__

While Noah disposes of the used condom, Di runs the water. Hot, almost boiling – _the way she likes it,_ Noah remembers. They climb into the shower together, helping each other wash up, letting their fingers roam each other’s soap-slick bodies. Noah squeezes her breasts, the nipples hardening to a point, while she strokes his dick, making blood rush down his body. They make love against the shower wall, slowly, deliberately, their skin slippery not just with water, but also tears. 

__

They dry each other up between kisses, slip on their pajamas between caresses. 

__

Finally, Diana sighs. “I’ll go in first. You wait a few minutes and come in after.” With that, she steps back from him and starts walking out of the dressing room. 

__

“Wait!” Noah yelps, reaching for her hand. 

__

She looks sadly at him. “You knew this moment was coming.” 

__

“I did. I just… I didn’t think it would come so fast.” 

__

“Yet here it is.” She loops her fingers behind his neck. Graceful as she always was, ballerina to the end, she rolls up onto her tiptoes and places a gentle kiss on Noah’s lips. This kiss is different from the others they’d shared that night. It’s full of longing and heartbreak, and all the hopes and dreams they’d shared. _Maybe one day,_ the kiss seems to say. _When we’re both older and more ready. Maybe our time will come again._

__

Di rolls back down. Her glacier blue eyes, gleaming silver in the moonlight, shimmer with tears. 

__

“Goodbye, Noah,” she whispers. And with a last stroke of his cheek, her touch light as a feather, she turns around and walks out of the darkened room. 

__

“Goodbye, Diana,” Noah whispers back, listening to her steps fade away as she walks down the corridor, down the stairs, back into the bedroom, into Lucas’ waiting arms. 

__

He checks the time. _3:24 A.M._ In a few minutes, it’s going to be his turn to walk down the corridor, down the stairs, back into the bedroom, and into his bed, where Hope is no doubt dreaming away of her victory in tomorrow’s final. She doesn’t know yet that win or no win, Noah’s breaking up with her tomorrow. Because he’s in love with another woman. 

__

_I haven’t been fair to her,_ Noah thinks, stepping out onto the terrace to enjoy a few more minutes of cool air before he heads down to the stifling heat of the communal bedroom. _I haven’t been fair to either of them. I’ve tried so hard to keep everyone happy that in the end I just created a bigger mess._ His heart twists. _Idiot._

__

A glint catches his eye. Noah bends down and picks up the object. It’s a ring, a simple silver band with a tiny diamond star set in the center. He runs his thumb on the inside of the ring, and, feeling an inscription, he bends down to the vein of neon lighting up the terrace. It’s not much, but it's enough for him to make out the writing, in simple block letters. 

__

_SHINE LIKE THE STARS IN YOUR EYES – DMW –_

__

Noah smiles when he realizes this must be Diana’s. _DMW. Diana Morowa Watson._ He remembers laughing with her about the meaning of her name. 

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“Divine Queen,” she’d snickered. “ _And_ named after a dead princess. With a name like that, it's like my parents were trying to safe-guard against self-esteem issues.”

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Noah thought the name fit her perfectly. She _was_ divine. And a queen. And she was special. So special. 

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Noah clasps the ring between his fingers. _Yes, we’ll have another chance. No matter how long it takes._

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He shoves the ring into the pocket of his pajama pants. He’ll return it. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after. Maybe someday far in the future. When the time is right. 

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Noah steps back into the Villa and heads down to bed, to his last night with Hope. 

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Up in the sky, high above the Villa, Methuselah continues to shine brightly, as it has done for the past 14 billion years, and will continue to do so long after humans have disappeared from the Earth. But for now, it twinkles, just one of the many thousands of stars shining in the night sky under which two broken-hearted young people just began making their way back to each other.

__


End file.
